From ancient Egypt to the 1990s and its love for BDSM, here's a brief overview of history's best (or worst) sex trends.
1. Ancient Egypt (3100-332 BC): Getting Intimate With a Red Lip.
Oral sex is something that many ancient civilizations practiced, but the Egyptians had a particular admiration for it. They’re even credited with inventing lipstick, which when worn, signaled they were game. They enjoyed the act so much that one of their most important myths requires one to perform the act on a clay penis, bringing the god Osiris back to life.
2. Ancient Rome (753 BC- 476 AD): Lettuce? No Thank You.
We’ve all heard about certain foods that make us hot, but the Romans believed the contrary with certain cuisines. In order to prevent erectile dysfunction, Roman men avoided green vegetables ensuring their performance in bed. Guess fiber wasn’t a thing back then.
3. Middle Ages Europe (400-1400): Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder.
Back in the Middle Ages, the church had very restrictive rules about sex, and if you broke any of them you faced severe punishment. Through this, “courtly love”, or the idea of deep feelings between unmarried people, was born. Perhaps also the beginning of smizing?
4. Puritan-Era United States (1500-1700): Public Sex.
A time when public sex became the thing to do, not because they were particularly into it, but because they had limited private space. Whether it be ruffling the leaves in a forest or even in an outhouse, the Puritans were all about the great outdoors.
5. Victorian Era (1837-1901): Feeling Sick? Call Your Doctor For a Vibrator.
Women in this period were being diagnosed with hysteria, or the psychological disorder of being overdramatic or having attention-seeking behavior, left and right. The cure? Vibrators. It was said that if brought to an orgasm, women would be relieved of symptoms, free to be sent on their merry way. Fancy that.
6. 1970s: Monogamy? What's That?
In the era of the hippie, monogamy was passé. It was a decade of free love and spirituality marked by the idea of multiple lovers, and those already married tested the waters, which may or may not have been successful.
7. 1990s: Bring Out the Whips.
If you thought 50 Shades of Grey made S&M popular, think again. The ‘90s were an era of spanking, whips, and fetish clothes and the trend became so widespread that even Madonna even got involved, adopting the persona of a dominatrix with her style and music.
Shop the story
